


We've Got Chemistry

by themthere_taterthings



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adorable Tony Stark, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Nervous Tony, Sick Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 08:14:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8279054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themthere_taterthings/pseuds/themthere_taterthings
Summary: Tony has a crush on Clint, his lab partner, and it makes him a bit of a klutz... will this end up in a date or just a trip to the emergency shower?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Some silly prompt I couldn't get out of my head...

Tony was a nervous wreck, had been for most of the semester. This was college; he was an adult, off on his own to conquer the world. Supposedly, anyway. In reality he was still the same stuttering, stumbling idiot that he’d been in high school.

It was all because of a _guy_. To be fair, it wasn’t just any guy; no, he was just perfection on legs. It was frustrating for Tony because for the most part he was suave, friendly, and outgoing. Making friends was easy. Until the first day of his Chemistry 102 practical lab course when he’d had to share a fume hood with _Clint_.

Tony had selected a hood near the middle of the lab with easy access to the supply closet and a decent view of the white board at the front of the room. If he wasn’t close enough, he’d have to wear his glasses, which was beyond dorky and difficult with safety goggles on as well.

It was just his luck that the only open seat when the hot blonde walked in was with him. Black skinny jeans with black boots, hair spiked and wind-blown, a face that absolutely beamed when he smiled and introduced himself, all dimpled and crinkly-eyed. That gorgeous smile mixed with the bulging biceps on display from a well-worn tank top had Tony stuttering out his name. His ability to be cool completely gone, along with his heart.

Of course as the semester progressed, he discovered that Clint was funny, charming, and kind but with a mischievous streak a mile wide. Hearing Clint’s weekend shenanigans never failed to put him in a good mood. The three hours a week he spend with Clint was the most he’d laughed in a long time.

Now the semester was more than half over and Tony had broken more lab equipment than his entire life put together. It was just that Clint smelled so nice and whenever he stood too close or looked over Tony’s shoulder at his lab work, he got nervous and shaky. Whatever glassware in his hands was frequently the victim of his pathetic crush.

Tony just hoped that Clint didn’t know what he did to him. He didn’t have a lot of true friends but he had high hopes that Clint would stick around. It was a small tightening of his chest every time Tony had to stutter an apology and run for the cleanup station: Clint would smile his gentle, beautiful, crinkly smile and pat him on the shoulder and say ‘No biggie, Tony’.

His other friends agreed that he was pathetic. Rhodey and Pepper had told him time and time again to just ask him out. Regardless of what Clint said it would probably bring down his lab fees. He couldn’t though; Clint was probably straight. The last time Tony had asked out a straight guy, his life had been hell for months. He wouldn’t be making that mistake again. No sir.

This would just have to go away.

***

It was the Thursday before spring break and Tony was looking forward to a week with no Clint. It would be a week of shenanigans with his best friend, with absolutely no pining over unavailable cute lab partners. He just had to get through this last lab session.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. Clint was excited about break, blabbing about his plans non-stop, bouncing around and crowding Tony around the fume hood. Tony was already frazzled, on edge from mid-term stress and the accompanying lack of sleep and caffeine overdose. His hands were shaking a little but if he focused he would be able to pour the right amount of hydrochloric acid into the Erlenmeyer flask.

It was with his nerves frayed and his attention wandering that he caught the dregs of what Clint was saying.

“What did you say?”

“I said I’m sick of Nat trying to set me up on dates with girls. I haven’t gone on a date with a guy in like forever. Sometimes you just need something different, you know?” Clint repeated, expression strangely focused on Tony’s face.

Clint began to extend his hand toward Tony, as if to grab his arm. No freaking way! This had to be a sick joke. Just Clint playing a prank. He jerked away from Clint, purely on instinct. He watched in horror as he spills the hydrochloric acid he’s handling, and it splashes out of the hood onto Clint’s shirt.

Of course Clint can’t ever be serious about lab safety and has his lab coat unbuttoned, so it’s on his _actual shirt._ Burning through.

“Crap! Oh my god, Clint!” Tony immediately grabbed at him, pulling him roughly over to the emergency shower. He yanked on the cord, frigid water immediately flowing over them both. Clint yelped and tried to jump away, but Tony blocked him with his body.

He pushed the dingy labcoat off Clint’s shoulders and shoved at his tank top until Clint lifted his arms. Tony bent to examine his torso and make sure there were no chemical burns and was relieved to see that there was no damage.

Just tan, toned skin. _Wow_. His fingers traced over very well-defined abs, noting a small amount of dark blonde hair trailing down his flat stomach into… _Oh god_.

Tony snatched his hand back as if burned, eyes snapping up to Clint’s face. Even soaking wet he was gorgeous. But the smirk on his face had Tony horrified. How could he have done that, just felt the guy up in front of the class? 

He turned, and sure enough, everyone’s attention was on them. Someone wolf whistled and Tony’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. He couldn’t bring himself to look Clint in the eye, but he stammered out a quick, “S-s-sorry,” before bolting.

He didn’t stop for his backpack, didn’t clean up his lab area, just all out ran. When his lungs were heartily protesting all the sudden cardio, he slowed to a walk, chest heaving with effort and cramping at the nearly frigid air. Right, he was soaking wet and it was freezing out. Just because it was spring break didn’t mean it was spring weather.

Whatever, he couldn’t possibly be more miserable right now. Clint would never want to talk to him again; hopefully there would be a seat swap since it was the halfway point of the semester. Although he was infamous in lab as a klutz and probably the least desirable lab partner from a safety point of view.

When he reached his door he realized what an idiot he’d been. He didn’t have his backpack, so he didn’t have his keys. Now he got to spend the next two hours shivering in the hallway until Rhodey came back from class. Groaning loudly, he put his back to the door and slid to the floor, letting his head thump backwards heavily.

Rhodey would never let him live this down.

“Tony?” Tony woke slowly, noticing that he was slumped over awkwardly along the door jam. Rhodey was kneeling in front of him, hands on his shoulders and shaking him slightly.

“Tony, are you ok? You’re soaked and shivering, passed out in the hallway, man, what happened?” Tony let Rhodey drag him into a sitting position, but didn’t really understand the question. His head ached, he couldn’t breathe through his nose, and he was _so cold_.

“C-cold…” he whined, insanely jealous of Rhodey’s leather jacket.

“Ah shit, Tones,” Rhodey breathed, pulling Tony into a pseudo-hug to lift him into standing. Tony’s vision went dark and his legs didn’t want to hold his weight, but arms wrapped around his torso, keeping him upright. He rested his pounding head against a leather-clad shoulder.

Standing was no good, he wanted to be back on the floor, but Rhodey was making him walk into the dorm. He made a sad sound of disagreement.

He was led to the bathroom and finally allowed to sit on the toilet seat. Rhodey started up the shower and the steam that slowly began to waft around the room felt amazing. If his jeans weren’t so stiff and strange he could probably go right back to sleep.

Rhodey was amazing too. He was so glad he had Rhodey as a friend. Not many other people would be comfortable stripping their friends and cajoling them into taking a hot shower.

Once Tony was in the water, he was able to think a little more clearly. The hot water rained down on him, loosening his muscles and warming him all the way through.

As the cold dissipated, however, a bunch of other aches and pains became evident. His head still ached, and his body was sore from being in the hallway, and his chest was tight and uncomfortable. Crap, he’d gotten sick right in time for spring break. Today sucked in so many ways.

He managed to get out of the shower and dry and dress without any help, fighting off some chronic noodle-arm syndrome before he crashed on the couch face first. Unconsciousness hit him within minutes.

***

The passage of time meant nothing to him. He dozed, occasionally waking when Rhodey spoke or shoved some liquid at his face, tasting either of fruit punch Gatorade or chicken broth, but mostly he slept, wrapped in a comforter. Even when he was awake he was in such a fog of pain and discomfort, it didn’t feel quite real.

It seemed like it was very dark, possibly the same day or maybe it was Friday when he heard voices. He was awake, but drifting, wishing that his chest wasn’t hurting so much or that he could swallow without glass shredding his throat. Or even better, if he could sit upright without his brain trying to explode.

For lack of anything better to do but focus on his own misery, he listened to the conversation near the door.

“Hey, does Tony live here?”

“Yeah, why?” Rhodey replied. Not suspicious, Tony was good at making friends.

“We had an incident in lab yesterday and he ran off after getting doused with the emergency shower. I just wanted to check in and see if he’s ok. I didn’t see him around campus today.” Oh, Clint was here. That was good, he liked Clint. Or did he? He sounded nice, anyway.

“Is that what happened? Jeez, I was worried. I came back and found him passed out by the door, soaked and freezing. He’s like super sick now, hasn’t been awake completely since.” Rhodey sounded relieved. “I’m James, by the way. Tony’s roommate.”

“Clint. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard him talk about you.” Clint’s voice was closer. He must be in the apartment. Tony would look, but his eyes had closed and it seemed like too much work to open them.

“Hey, I hate to ask, but would you mind sitting with Tony for a bit? I was gonna run out and buy some cold medicine but I don’t want to leave him alone.”

“Yeah, no problem. Take your time; I got nowhere I need to be.” There was a series of rustling noises and more murmuring of voices, but Tony was drifting back into sleep, completely unconcerned with the goings on.

He roused again when he felt a weight land near his hip on the couch, shifting him slightly. Then someone was playing with his hair, fingers scritching softly against his scalp. It felt heavenly. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly, lessening the pounding in his head. A satisfied noise escaped his throat and his benefactor chuckled.

“I’m sorry, Tony. I really didn’t mean for this to go on this long.” There was a heavy guilt-laden sigh, the hand on his head stopping for a moment. Tony nudged his head forward as much as he could to make it start up again. It obliged.

“You’re adorable, you know that? That’s why I like teasing you so much in lab. The way you blush and stutter and break stuff… it makes me crazy. You make me crazy.” Must be Clint, to be talking about lab, but Tony had to be sure. Could he really be saying what he thought he was saying?

Tony opened his eyes as much as he could. They were so heavy and it was painfully bright, but he could see Clint smiling down at him. Oh man, did he love that smile. “Mmm..hey,” he mumbled, trying to smile back.

Clint’s hand moved from the top of his head to cup his jaw, thumb swiping gently back and forth. “Hey, Tony. I’m sorry you’re sick,” he frowned slightly.

Tony made a little happy noise, adjusting his body to lean against Clint. His lab partner was radiating wonderful warmth wherever he touched. “You make me crazy, too,” he managed to say, despite the sluggishness pulling at his every molecule.

“That’s good,” Clint’s grin was brilliant. Tony couldn’t wait to see it when he was fully functional. “I’m changing my spring break plans a bit. What do you say I keep you company here until you’re feeling better, then I take you out to dinner?”

“Yeah. I say yeah,” Tony said, pulling a hand out of his blankets (where did those come from?) to tug at Clint’s shirt. Clint came willingly, allowing Tony to arrange him between the back of the couch and Tony.

Tony snuggled up against his blanket-person, tucking his face against a muscular chest and putting his hand against a taut stomach.

Tony laughed a little as he felt Clint’s toned abs.

“What’s funny?” Clint asked, pulling back to meet Tony’s gaze.

“If I had known how good you looked shirtless, I would have spilled on you sooner.”


End file.
